You’ve got the judgement, skills and experience to be at the top of your game
Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell won his first UFC belt at 36 years old, Couture at 37, Dan Severn at 37. Starting to see the pattern?
This is when you’re at your most dangerous and can really have it all. “You may not be as explosive but you can have more endurance and extend your lactate threshold,” says Kevin Kearns, MMA trainer to fighters like Marcus Davis (37 years old).
“This lets you train at a higher intensity, burn more calories and have better control over your weight.”
What’s more, you’re now at the peak of your skills, judgement and overall ability so savor these glory years by using the advice below.
PEAKING CHAMPS SHOULD
FOCUS ON:
1: Gut instinct
You’ve been at it enough not to have to bother to think about it so work on running with your first thought.
2: Recovery
“These fighters train as hard as the younger guys but need to gear their programmers more towards recovery,” says Chaplin.
3: Fighting off injury
The most likely spot is your back, and fighters with poor muscular endurance in their lower back are three times more likely to develop back pain than those with fair or good endurance, found a study in Clinical Biomechanics.
PEAKING CHAMPS SHOULDN’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT:
1: Plyometric and overly explosive exercises.
Over the years your joints will have taken a beating from the demands of training so limit the high-impact stuff.
2: Cutting weight
Try to stay near your fighting weight all the time by adjusting your diet, as a drastic drop in weight can severely affect your performance.
PEAKING CHAMPS AND ENERGY
Whether you’re a pro or not, the demands of your career in and out the ring will be mounting up which can prick a slow leak in your oomph.
As we age, the regular releases of cortisol and adrenaline, from stress, mount up and tire you out, found research at New York Academy of Sciences. If work pressures mount, you won’t have a great workout or fight so take a stroll at lunchtime. A mere five-minute canter in the open air drastically improves your mood and self esteem while lowering cortisol, found researchers at the University of Essex.
And for you that means more vigor for your evening grappling class.
PEAKING CHAMPS SHOULD EAT:
Sports nutritionist Freddy Brown says you should eat all that the young gun does but make the following inclusions:
> Creatine supplements
> Branch chain amino acids supplements
> Coconut oil
> Pineapples
> Cherries
> Oily fish
> Plenty of green tea
AVERAGE fighter’s vertical jump
This is a measure of lower body power.
Test yours to see how you stack up.
Age, height
20-29, 19.7”
30-39, 16.9”
40-49, 13.8”
50-59, 11.0”
40-48" The height GSP’s vertical jump is reported to reach.
Try doing that before your 30th birthday.
THE PEAKING CHAMPION’S WORKOUT
“A fighter in his peak needs to be ready for all-out war,” says Kearns. “The workout below is called gas-in-the-tank and you’ll spend 30 seconds on each station, rest for 30 seconds and repeat three to five times, after a warm-up. Each round should take six to eight minutes with fighter working towards cutting out rest completely two weeks before the event”
Bosu sprawls
Hold a bosu ball so the rounded side faces away from you. Quickly drop and press it to the ground and get into a push-up position with your legs sprawled out. Pop up to the start.
Mini trampoline box jumps
Place a box or bench in front of a mini trampoline. Bounce on the tramp then jump onto the box. Jump back and forth.
Grappler’s chin-ups with towel
Loop a towel over a pull-up bar. Grab an end with either hand and pull yourself up as high as you can. Lower to the start position.
Punches in bunches with bands
Hold either end of a Dyna band (elastic resistance band) in each hand and place the elastic around your back, tie a knot in it to increase the resistance. Straighten your arms to punch. Keep at it until the time runs out.
Band clinch pulls
Stand face-on to a band attached to an upright. Grab it with both hands and do a judo-style throw with the band in your hands where you end up facing the upright.
Plank
Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and together. Set your hands beneath your chest so your body weight rests on your forearms. Keep these parallel to each other. Raise your body onto your elbows and knees so it forms a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Hold then lower to the start.
Clinch rollouts with Swiss ball
Kneel with a Swiss ball in front of you. Roll the ball out in front of you then pull back on it to return to the start position.
Cage crush with stability and partner
Have a partner hold a Swiss ball in front of them and press it against you, while your back is against the cage or a wall. Begin on the floor and have them resist against your efforts to stand up.
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